Tayto is a much-loved local brand. Its Cheese ’n’ Onion variety is legendary and thousands of youngsters every year flock to the Tayto Tours at Tandragee Castle. That’s where the family-run business, founded by Thomas Hutchinson, has been headquartered for the last 52 years, producing 972 packets of crisps a day in 1956 – and 1.5 million packets daily in 2008.

In recent years, a £20 million investment has enabled the acquisition of ailing Golden Wonder in February 2006, Welsh-based Real Crisps in December 2007 and the successful Red Mill Snack Foods company, which produce Transform-a-Snack and ‘Mr Porky’ pork scratchings in March 2008. Most recently, in January of this year, the Group has added the Staffordshire-based Jonathan Crisp brand to its portfolio.

This expansion, led by an experienced and visionary management team, has resulted in Group turnover increasing from £15m to £150m inside five years, confirming the Group’s position as one of the three largest snack manufacturers in the UK, with more than 300 employees. Growth of 16 per cent year-on-year is forecast, as well as recruitment across all operations in the next 12-18 months.

UNIQUE AND SPECIAL

“Tayto is very unique and has a very special place in the hearts and minds of the people here,” said Paul Allen. “Everyone you meet has a smile for Tayto and that makes it a very special place to work. But we are also a very focused business that has been able to hold its own through the current economic downturn, thanks to a combination of strategic planning and the timely introduction of cost-saving efficiencies.”

Tayto Group makes a range of snack products, including hand-fried crisps and speciality fried snacks. The company also produces tortillas and has a number of other new products underway. “Simply put, we have a wider offering of products than anybody else in the marketplace and I think our customers really enjoy the convenience of a one-stop shop which offers such a comprehensive range,” maintained Paul.

As Chief Executive Officer, Paul has overall responsibility for the delivery of the company’s business plan, but Tayto’s ownership structure means it very much has a family ethos and that, combined with leading edge products, puts it in a very unique position. “I put the success of the Tayto management team down to a shared and clearly understood vision,” he explained. “We are ambitious, but we know that in order to grow we have to invest and a proven track record in innovation and finding value in other businesses over the past few years has put us in a strong position to grow further through acquisitions

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